What the coasters asked G. Plakiotakis

By Anastasia Vamvaka

For more than two hours, the new management of the Passenger Shipping Business Association spoke with the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Giannis Plakiotakis and his staff mainly to increase transport costs from price increases and to marine fuels that reach 80-90%. operating expenses.

The total additional cost is estimated to exceed € 250 million, with the companies already facing two difficulties due to Covid, at a time when this year had started promisingly for the industry.

The meeting came as a result of the meetings of the new Board of Directors of SEEN, which although a few days after his election has been called to manage one of the biggest fuel crises, after two years of pandemic and serious losses in the industry.

Although the members of the Management are forbidden to talk about the pricing policy of each company, however everyone knows that without the support of the State each company has three options for managing the situation:

a) the reduction of the itineraries – that the cut of the itineraries has already started, for example on the line Piraeus-Crete-,

(b) the reduction of speed on ships; and

c) the increase of ticket prices that can reach up to 25%.

Overall, industry leaders estimated that there is a need for short-term state support measures, with the price of fuel they can manage to continue their transportation work being the one that had the barrel in December 2021.

After extensive discussions, they came up with a package of seven measures proposed to the Minister of Shipping, which had been put back on the table either in the management of the pandemic or in previous economic crises in the sector.

The meeting on behalf of SEEN was attended by the new president of SEEN Mr. Spyridon Paschalis, attended by the Vice President of Shipping Efstratios Apergis, the Vice President of International Voyages Spyridon Protopapadakis, the General Secretary Theologos Theagos Panagios Panagios.

From the 7 meters, the SEEN with the staff of the Ministry of Shipping reached 5 meters that the government and the competent Ministries will consider their immediate implementation such as the imposition of a ceiling on the prices of marine fuels at the prices of December 2021, the temporary reduction of VAT to 6% and a return to 13% – which is valid today – when prices return to 2021 levels, the payment of more than 42 million euros that the state has not yet paid to companies for subsidized routes that have already been performed , the subsidy of employers’ contributions and the increase of subsidies for the existing barren lines for one year.

For his part, Mr. Plakiotakis acknowledged that this is a global problem caused by the pandemic and worsened due to the crisis in Ukraine, noting that it requires special attention due to the national role of coastal shipping for our country. He also pledged to discuss this issue in the relevant Ministries in order to consider a package of measures that will improve the situation.